Una Europa Live My Life 2025/2026

Calling UCD professional services staff! Are you interested in meeting peers across Europe and spending up to one week in another university? Then apply now for the 2025/2026 edition of Una Europa Live My Life!

Live My Life is Una Europa’s joint format for blended job shadowing, aimed at professional staff at the alliance’s 11 partner universities, including UCD. The experience provides professionals with the chance to engage in peer-to-peer learning in a transnational context.

We are now seeking applications from professional/administrative staff who work in the following areas: 

• Human Resources
• Financial services
• Public Engagement
• Placement opportunities
• Continuous Education services
• Language Centres
• Knowledge Transfer Offices
• PhD Division services
• Library services

Following three preparatory online sessions, an in-person visit to an Una Europa partner university will allow you to immerse yourself in the culture and working practices of your host university, facilitating knowledge exchange and mutual learning.

On-site visits of up to one week per person take place between November 2025 and April 2026.

You can apply as a ‘tandem’ with a peer from one of the partner universities or you can apply as an individual. If you apply as a ‘tandem’ you will be required to indicate the name of your peer on the application form. If you apply as an individual, we will try to match you with other individual applicants.

UCD Global will fund and support the participation of selected UCD staff, in line with Erasmus+ staff mobility rates.

Apply by 16 June! Full details, including the exact jobs/roles, eligibility criteria, and the application form are here:

*** https://www.una-europa.eu/calendar/live-my-life-2025 ***

FAQs & drop-in clinics 

Is funding provided?

If selected for Live My Life, UCD participants will receive funding from UCD Global for travel costs, accommodation costs and subsistence, in line with current Erasmus+ rates. The Una Europa team at UCD Global will provide more details if your application is successful. 

Support grants are designed to cover the majority of participant costs. Where real costs exceed the rates provided, it may be necessary to seek support from your School or Unit. 

For example, a UCD participant travelling to another university for 5 days of activity would receive the following:
* Flat rate travel grant, plus 
* Flat rate subsistence grant per activity day, plus
* Flat rate subsistence grant for up to two travel days

Do I need to already have a Live My Life partner at an Una Europa university in order to apply?

No. You may apply without a partner. The Live My Life programme managers will attempt to match you to another solo applicant with a similar job role. 

Can I pick a preferred university if I apply without a partner?

No. Applicants will be matched with potential partners based on the best fit for role/job description.  

I participated in Live My Life before. Can I apply again?

Yes, you may apply again, provided your job description matches the roles advertised in the current programme. 

Who coordinates schedules for participants selected for the programme? 

If selected, participants will be introduced to their Live my Life partner and are expected to coordinate arrangements directly with each other, including plans for their partner’s visit to UCD. The Live My Life coordinating team and UCD Una Europa team are not responsible for making these arrangements.

Have more questions? The Una Europa team at UCD would be happy to discuss. Contact unaeuropa@ucd.ie with 'Live My Life' in the subject line OR come along to an informal 'drop-in clinic' on Zoom: 

• Wednesday, 28 May, 2pm - 2:45pm
• Wednesday, 4 June, 2pm - 2:45pm
• Wednesday, 11 June, 2pm - 2:45pm 

No need to register - just join using this link for any of the above sessions: 

Meeting ID: 693 4132 2173
Passcode: 301825

Previous UCD participants in Live My Life 

Several UCD professional services staff have participated in the Live My Life programme to date, from Facilities, HR, Finance, E-Learning and Research Management. Staff participants included Pauline Carney, Jenny Knell, Barry O'Halloran, Kathryn Murray, Sudoba Azim, Anita Blake, Hersh Yadav and Stephen Manuel.

"I didn't know what to expect going into the programme, but it truly exceeded all expectations," said Jenny Knell, Research Development Officer. "It was beneficial to knowledge-share not only with my exchange partner (who works in the same role) but also the wider team in Research Support Services and other Una Europa participants undertaking their exchanges the same week."

“Meeting colleagues from different countries helped me understand different approaches," said Pauline Carney. "This exchange allowed me to bring useful practices back to my university." 

You can read about more UCD experiences, along with other colleagues from across the Una Europa alliance, here:

https://site.unibo.it/una-europa/en/get-involved-una-europa/una-europa-live-my-life-voices-2025-1 

and

https://site.unibo.it/una-europa/en/get-involved-una-europa/live-my-life-2024